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Diamonds are Forever (Unless They’re Stolen…)

Necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings … these are all hallmark gifts in a typical romantic relationship. And, within the extensive world of fine jewelry, there is one common thread: diamonds. Few engagement rings are without diamonds, and it’s hard to imagine a tennis bracelet without diamonds galore. Diamonds are largely known as costly, a girl’s best friend, and a gift that will last forever. In other words, this stone gets a lot of hype.

But, because of this hype, diamonds are also a popular target for thieves. This precious gem is often the victim of heists (or, at least, attempted heists) from jewelry stores, museums, and most unfortunately, from residential locales. Yes, diamond thieves favor homes when seeking that sparkling prize —the potential lack of security measures taken by homeowners is far preferable to the extensive precautions taken by shops and museums. Due to this heightened level of protection, “rocks” lifted from such establishments often become the cover story on the 5 o’clock news, thus making the un-publicized burglary of the house next door, much more appealing.

One such example was recently reported in the Bismarck Tribune: “Bismarck Police Officer Pat Renz said [a] woman called police at 7:39 p.m. to report someone had broken into her home on the 600 block of North Seventh Street between 5:30 p.m. and 6:40 p.m.”. “The woman said she left her home briefly and, when she returned, her front door was open. She went inside and noticed items were out of place and some had been knocked over. Renz said she reported that a diamond solitaire ring and an undisclosed amount of cash had been stolen. He said there were pry marks on the door and the door jam, and the door handle also was damaged.”

In the case of this Bismarck woman, a major reason her home was robbed seems to have been the ease of access it provided. All the thief (or thieves) needed to do was force her door open. There was no security system to dodge, no guard by which to sneak.

The Virginian-Pilot wrote about another residential diamond theft not long ago: “The victim held a birthday party in his home, [and] he noticed a gold and diamond bracelet missing. It’s worth thousands of dollars, police spokeswoman Officer Grazia Moyers said. The victim suspected one of his party guests.”

In this unfortunate scenario, no breaking and entering was required in order to commit diamond theft—just another reason taking these stones from houses is preferable to those with sticky fingers.

Of course, there are hundreds of millions of homes in the United States that house a diamond or two that remain in safe keeping. It’s not a given that your grandmother’s heirloom diamond earrings will be taken from your jewelry box while you’re out to dinner one night. But it can—and does—happen.

It’s important to keep your precious jewelry protected by insuring your appraisals are kept up to date, and your scheduled items reflect the appropriate values. Enservio’s pre-loss service has certified gemologists onsite that can assist; and if you or your adjuster is unsure about what jewelry attributes are needed to properly describe the item, just ask us about our jewelry training resources!